Question 1A fails by large margin

Backers of a proposed sales tax to fund a handful of local agencies hoped a good voter turnout would help sway the election Tuesday.

But with the first release of the numbers on Election Night hopes were dashed.

At 11 p.m., the last numbers released for the night, Ballot Question 1A was losing y a 19,543 to 14,576ß margin.

“I’m extremely disappointed,” said Stephanie Sowell, director of the Pueblo Zoo. “I really had hope and faith that Pueblo would see the value that we bring to the community.”

The zoo, Pueblo Animal Services, the Colorado State Fair, the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center and the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center all stood to gain new revenue from the measure.

Now the agencies must wait to see what the Pueblo City Council and County Board of Commissioners do next.

“I wouldn’t want to put myself into the City Council’s shoes right now,” Sowell said.

Sowell said she must begin to determine what kind of zoo Pueblo wants with what is possible under the current funding conditions.

Jim Munch, executive director at HARP, said he’s waiting to see what the city does next before making any concrete plans, but drumming up more corporate support is on the agenda.

City Councilman Chris Kaufman won re-election Tuesday but was in no mood to celebrate, saying the council has difficult decisions coming.

“It’s obvious these entities are very near and dear to the community. I call them the anchor tenants,” Kaufman said. “There’s definitely an urgency with this council to deal with this.”

County Commissioner Sal Pace and 1A campaign co-chairman Nick Gradisar said the measure likely suffered from too many tax measures on the ballot and voter apprehension over more taxes.